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Friday, 23 December 2016

409) The Prestigious Krause Publications Annual World Coin Competition: Coin of the Year Awards -2017: The Winners of the “Coin Of The Year” (COTY) Award & the 10 sub-categories:

409) The Prestigious Krause Publications Annual World Coin
Competition: Coin of the Year Awards -2017: The Winners of the “Coin Of The
Year” (COTY) Award & the 10 sub-categories:

The Competition:

Every year, since 1984, Krause Publications holds a
competition for “Coin of the Year” (COTY) Awards in which there are 10
sub-categories (Best Gold Coin, Best Bimetallic Coin, Most Artistic Coin, Most
Historically Significant Coin, Best Contemporary Event Coin, Best Silver Coin,
Most Innovative Coin, Most Inspirational Coin, Best Crown, Best Circulating
Coin) apart from the overall “Coin Of The Year” (COTY).

The Award seeks to recognise the best of the Coiners’ Art and to
encourage World mints to continue to challenge themselves in creating great
numismatic works.

The coins nominated for the Competition should have elegant and diverse
styles, themes and technology used by mints from across the Globe.

The COTY Awards are sponsored by “World Coin
News”, the “World Money Fair” and the “Journal of East Asian Numismatics”.

The “World Coin News” is a monthly periodical
dedicated to collecting international coinage and is a sister publication to
the weekly “Numismatic News”, which is dedicated to US Numismatics.

This year, i.e. in 2017, coins
issued in 2015 or the year’s equivalent in other calendars were eligible to be
nominated for the competition.

The “2017 Coin of the Year
Award” has been won by the 10 Euro Italian Coin which has also won the title of
Most Artistic Coin in the annual COTY Competition.

Out of the ten categories Finland and the USA were the top winners in
the first round of judging in the Coin of the Year Competition – 2016.

Each of these two nations won two categories each.

The following two categories had Coins entered in the competition by Finland
winning these categories:

This 5
Euro Coin on the Obverse
depicts a reindeer. On the periphery of this face is mentioned
“SUOMI FINLAND”.

The Reverse of the Finland 5 Euro Bimetallic Coin

The Reverse
of this Five Euro Coin bears
the historic Coat of Arms of Lapland.
The year “2015” is mentioned on the upper periphery, “5” on the left and “EURO”
on the bottom periphery.

This Coin is part of the “Animals of the Provinces” Series and is the third coin
minted in this Series.

The Reindeer is Lapland’s emblematic animal
and is an integral part of Lapland’s nature. It is a semi-domesticated herd
animal that has adapted excellently to the harsh conditions of the far North.
Reindeer management is a traditional way of life in Lapland, in harmony with
the cycle of nature and has provided a livelihood for many of the region for
centuries. The number of reindeer in Lapland is around 200,000.

And

Best Silver Coin Category (10 Euro coin marking the 70th
Anniversary of Peace after World War II):

In 2015, 70 years have passed from the end of the
II World War. This coin celebrates this milestone.

Instead of the conventional dove symbol used to
symbolise peace, this coin’s motifs depict the dramatic juxtaposition of war
and peace, and also the bridge connecting the two.

The Obverse of the 10 Euro Silver Coin

On the Obverse
of the 10 Euro Silver Coin, shoots, leaves and fruits wind along the
same arch, symbolising peace and growth. On the right periphery is inscribed "RAUHAN VUOTTA".

The Reverse of the 10 Euro Silver Coin

On theReverse
of the 10 Euro Silver Coin, behind the arch of a bridge lie the
elements of ruin and destruction that symbolise war: debris and flames. One can
also see on this face, the logo/emblem of the “European Silver Star” programme
in which European countries release coins with a shared theme.

On the Coin’s Obverse and Reverse, peace and war meet on the deck of the
bridge.

The designer of this coin is Petri Neuvonen.

These coins were selected from a field of ten
finalists each, of which the remaining entries were:

Best Bimetallic Coin Category: The winner was chosen from among the other
entries:

- Poland:
10 Zlotych, Silver – 100 Years of Warsaw University of Technology

- South
Africa: 1 Rand, Silver – Life of Nelson Mandela

The
“EUROPA Silver Star Coin” or “Euro Star” or the “EUROPA Coin Programme”:

The EUROPA Coin Programme logoThis
is an initiative for issuing collector-oriented legal tender coins in precious
metals to celebrate the European identity. The issuing authorities of European
Union member countries voluntarily contribute coins the the Europa Coin
Programme which began in 2004. Some coins are denominated in Euros while others
may be denominated in other currencies. The criteria includes these coins to be
at least .900 fine silver and to be minted in Proof quality. The coins must
show the “Eurostar logo” distinctly and be visible to the naked eye, but not be
an integral to the coin’s design.

The
Eurostar logo is a special mark used on coins to indicate participation in the
Europa Coin Programme. It is a stylised combination of an “E” for Europe (or
the Euro symbol) and a star (often used to symbolise a nation for example, the
EU Flag).

The
themes of the Europa coins over the years have been – EU Enlargement (2004),
Peace & Freedom (2005), Distinguished European figures (2006), European
Realisation (2007), Cultural Heritage (2008), European Heritage (2009),
European Architecture (2010), European Explorers (2011), European Visual Artists
(2012), European Writers (2013) , European Composers (2014) and 70 years of Peace in Europe (2015).

The following two categories had Coins entered in the competition by USA
winning these categories:

This coin is the 27th in the “America
the Beautiful Quarters Programme”.

The Reverse of this Circulating Quarter shows a wild turkey flying just over blue stem grass. On
the left hand background are long leaf pine trees.

On the upper periphery is mentioned the
inscription “KISATCHIE”. On the lower Periphery are mentioned “LOUISIANA”
“E.PLURIBUS UNUM” (meaning “One among Many”) and the year of issue “2015”.

The Reverse of this circulating Quarter has been
designed by Susan Gamble and engraved by Joseph Menna, whose initials will
appear on the actual coins.

The Obverse of this Circulating Quarter coin features
the 1932 portrait of George Washington designed by John Flanagan. Also seen on
the Obverse are the inscriptions “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”, “LIBERTY”, “IN GOD
WE TRUST” and QUARTER DOLLAR.

About the Kisatchie National Forest: The Kisatchie National Forest is spread over more than 604000 acres
across seven parishes in Louisiana. The Headquarters of the Forest are in
Pineville with the Forest Range being divided into five managed units called
Ranger Districts – Calcasieu, Caney, Catahoula, Kisatchie and Winn. The
Forest was designated as a National Forest in 1930.

The Kisatchie National Forest Heritage program aims
to protect archaeological sites and historic structures in the Forest.

Hidden in the bayous, beneath bald cypress groves
and pine is showcased a world of natural beauty and wildlife. The Park is a
part of the Cainozoic uplands and has large areas of longleaf pine forests
& flatwoods vegetation which support many rare plant and animal species.
There are also rare habitats viz. seepage bogs and calcareous prairies.

The Obverse
of the $1 Silver Coin design represents the past depicting President
Roosevelt and Dr. Jonas Salk, two leaders in the fight against polio.

The inscriptions are – “LIBERTY”, “IN GOD WE TRUST”
and “2015”.

Reverse of the US $1 Silver Coin

The Reverse of the $1 Silver Coin depicts a baby
cuddled in the hand of a parent, representing the Foundation’s dedication to the
health of babies. The inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”, “$!”, “MARCH
OF DIMES” and “E. PLURIBUS UNUM”

The March of Dimes Programme: The programme was founded by President
Franklin D.Roosevelt on the eve of World War II as the National Foundation for
Infantile Paralysis and it was instrumental in the eradication of polio from
the USA. Since then the March of Dimes mission has been to prevent birth
defects, working for every generation with new research and discoveries to help
babies be born healthy and grow up strong.

The March of Dimes is a not-for-profit
organisation whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing
birth defects, pre-mature birth and infant mortality. It provides mothers,
pregnant women and women of child-bearing age with educational resources on
baby health, pregnancy, pre-conception and new motherhood as well as supplying
information and support to families affected by pre-maturity, birth defects or
other infant health problems.

The name “March of Dimes” was a play on the
contemporary radio and newsreel series “The March of Time”, which inspired a
nationwide fund-raising campaign in the week preceding President Roosevelt’s
birthday on 29.01.1938. Lapel pins were sold for ten cents each, special
features were produced by motion picture studios and radio industry, nightclubs
and cabarets held dances and contributed a portion of the proceeds. Thousands
of people mailed cards and letters, each containing a dime to the White House.

At the Annual Fund-raising event, the March of
Dimes” title was used that requested each child to donate a dime. After President Roosevelt passed away,
because he had founded the March of Dimes Programme, he was honoured with a
Dime portraying him.

These coins were selected from a field of ten
finalists each, of which the remaining entries were:

In the remaining Six Categories, each of the following countries won in a
single category – Italy, Japan, Canada, Great Britain, Austria and the Cook
Islands –

Most Artistic Coin Category: (10 Euro silver coin marking 70 years of
Peace in Europe) won by Italy,

The “2017 Coin of the Year
Award” has been won by the 10 Euro Italian Coin which has also won the title of
Most Artistic Coin in the annual COTY Competition.

The IPZS
(“Instituo Poligrafico e Zecca dello
Stato”) or the Italian Mint has issued this silver coin which
commemorates the 70th Anniversary of the end of World War II (WW
II).

The Italian Republic, a founding member originally
of the “European Steel & Coal Board” (ESCB) in 1957 – the pre-cursor to the
European Economic Community and later the European Union in 1992 has played its
part in preserving the peace in Europe and around the World since WW II.

Obverse of the 10 Euro Italian Silver Coin

The Obverse
of this 10 Euro Coin depicts a female figure, half reclining in ¾ view,
with an Olive branch in her left hand, symbolising the French Lady Liberty –
Marianne. The motif is based on a detail
from the fresco painted by Ambrogio Lorezetti on the subject of Good Government
for the “Sala dei Nove of the Palazzo
Pubblico” in Siena. On the right is a stylised dove and the 12 stars of the
European Union are placed around the coin’s denomination “10 Euro”. To the left
the letter “R” identifying the Mint of Rome, ant the years “1945-2015”, the
years of the Anniversary and that of the coin’s celebration respectively are
shown. On the lower periphery, encased in the border is the inscription “70
ANNI DI PACE IN EUROPA” (meaning “70 years of peace in Europe”).

Reverse of the Italian 10 Euro Silver Coin

On the Reverse
of this 10 Euro Coin is depicted a dove- the International symbol of
Peace – which is held by a feminine figure, an allegory of Europa or Europe,
with the number “70” standing for the Anniversary of Peace.

The stars of the European Union are incorporated in
her hair with an olive branch bordering the logo of the “EUROPA Star Programme”
which completes the representation (as this coin is issued as part of the
Annual EUROPA Star Numismatic
Programme).

An arch-shaped inscription “REPUBBLICA ITALIANA”
and at the end of the word “ITALIANA” is the name “COLANERI” (the name of the designer – Maria Grazia
Colaneri).

Best Contemporary Event Coin Category(10,000 Yen Gold coin marking the Great
East Japan Earthquake Reconstruction) won by Japan.

The Great Eastern Japan Earthquake had its epi-centre
located in the Pacific Ocean over 40 miles East of Tohuku Region on Honshu, the
largest island in the Japanese Archipelago. The most powerful earthquake to
ever strike Japan, it produced a 133-foot tsunami which contributed to the
large scale destruction, including the melt-down of the Fukushima Nuclear Power
Plant.

The Japan Mint has struck this legal tender 10,000
Yen gold coin as part of the Great East Japan Earthquake Reconstruction
Project, which has been designated as a National Project. Four gold coins will
be struck under the Great East Japan Earthquake Reconstruction Project
Commemorative Coin Programme.

This is the third coin in the Series of four Gold
coins which are being struck along with a series of silver coins to remember
the event.

Obverse of the Japanese 10,000 Yen Gold Coin

On the Obverse
of the 10,000 Yen Gold Coin is seen Special Zones for Reconstruction and an Origami Crane.

The Origami Crane is shown floating above a
representation of the Tohoku Region of Honshu. A rainbow-like bridge extends
beyond the crane to the edge of the coin and connects the paper-bird to a tree
that appears to be the source of the rainbow. The tree sits on a patch of land
that occupies the lower right quadrant. A rising sun implied by the negative
space created by rays of light emanating from all around it – rests behind the
tree. Small raised dots encircle the design and the inscriptions for “Japan”
and “10000 Yen” (rendered in Chinese characters) are also present.

Origami Cranes carry with them symbolic overtones of
peace, hope and resilience.

Reverse of the Japanese 10,000 Yen Gold Coin

On the Reverse of the 10,000 Yen Gold Coin
is seen a tableau of doves flying in
front of the Miracle Pine.

A ring with Japanese inscriptions encircles the
central design and a circle of small raised dots is seen on this face too. The
inscriptions state that the coin was minted in the 27th year of the
reign of Emperor Akihito, who assumed the throne upon the passing away of
Emperor Showa – better known as Hirohito in 1989.

The Miracle Pine Tree: This is an
88 foot tall Pine tree out of a forest of about 70,000 trees which was the lone
tree which survived the 2011 Japanese tsunami which left nearly 19,000 people
dead or missing and more than 300,000 without a home.

The miracle tree died some time ago and has been
“artificially” restored as a monument marking the Anniversary of the 11.03.2011
tsunami in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture. The miracle tree was felled soon
after it died and giant moulds were made in order to re-create the tree and
raise the monument on the spot where it had stood for 173 years.

Most Historically Significant Coin Category($20 silver coin marking the
100th Anniversary of “In Flanders Fields”, a poem about the human
losses on the Western Front during World War I by John McCrae) won by Canada:

The year 2015 marks the 100th
Anniversary of the poem “In Flanders fields” written by Canadian physician Lt.
Col. John McRae amid the horrors of the II Battle of Ypres in May 1915. Through
his poignant poem, he has given a voice to the 60,000 Canadians who died in the
I World War and ignited an international effort to keep their legacy alive.

This coin has been brought out to mark this anniversary as a remembrance
these fallen soldiers.

Reverse of the $20 Canadian Silver Coin

The Reverse
of the $20 Silver Coin
transports one back to 1915, with an intricately engraved image which evokes the opening lines of McCrae’s
poem “In Flanders Fields”. With his helmet removed and head bent down
in mourning, a lone Canadian soldier stands before a make-shift grave for
fallen fellow soldiers, their final resting place resembling the Belgian fields
near the Ypres Salient, which provided the natural setting for McCrae’s poem
and contributed to the theme of the continuing cycle of life amidst the
devastation of war.

To the left of the soldier, a large image of poppy
symbolic of remembrance is shown, these same wild blooms are also seen to the
right of the soldier, emerging from the upturned earth echoing a line from
McCrae’s poem”. The inscriptions are: “In Flanders Fields”, “CANADA” and
“2015”. This image has been designed
by Laurie McGaw.

In Flanders Fields (the poem):

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place, and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high,

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.”

(This poem was inspired by the fall of a young Canadian artillery
officer, Lt. Alexis Helmer who was killed on 02.05.1915 in the Second Battle of
Ypres by an exploding German artillery shell near him in the gun positions
where he was stationed. McCrae was the brigade doctor as well as Helmer’s
friend. The
Flanders Poppy has now come to symbolise the remembrance of fallen soldiers the
world over, so popularised by the American teacher Moina Belle Michael and the
Frenchwoman Madame Anna Guerin also known as the “French Poppy Lady”).

Obverse of the $20 Canadian Silver Coin

The Obverse
of the $20 Silver Coin
depicts a left facing portrait of George V, who was the King in 1915. The
inscriptions are “GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND IMP” (meaning “George V, By
the Grace of God, King and Emperor of India” and “20 DOLLARS”.

This coin is the third gold coin in the Austrian
Mint’s “Wildlife in our Sights” programme, which celebrates the diversity of Europe’s native wildlife as well as the
sustainable management of their habitats.

Obverse of the Austrian 100 Euro Gold Coin

The Obverse
of the 100 Euro Austrian Coindepicts a male Capercaillie, a wild
European Woodland Grouse, in full courting pose. Its tail feathers are fanned
out, its wings somewhat drooped to the ground and its head and beak pointed
skywards, singing out the bird’s distinctive mating call. The bird is located
amidst an array of pine boughs, pine cones and a tree stump. These features
represent the bird’s natural habitat. Ornamental scrolls wrap around the coin’s
right and right bottom, adjacent to the rim. On the upper periphery are
inscribed “REPUBLIK OSTERREICH” and the date “2015”. The denomination of the
coin “100 EUROS” is engraved to the left of the grouse image. The Obverse design has been made by
Thomas Pesendorfer.

Reverse of the Austrian 100 Euro Gold Coin

The Reverse
of the 100 Euro Austrian Coin depicts both a male and female
Capercaillie sitting on the branch of a pine tree. The birds are rendered to
scale, with the male bird, usually twice the size of the female dwarfing her. A
rugged natural setting fills in the background along with the detailed bark of
a pine tree. At the lower bottom is a pine cone and pine boughs. There is no text on this face. The Reverse has been designed by Helmut
Andexlinger.

The Capercaillie: Austria is one of the last
countries where the Capercaillie is found. It is the largest species of the
Grouse family well known for its spectacular mating dance and call – mostly for
claiming territory – a ritual that begins in spring and can carry on till June.

Its habitat is coniferous, mixed and deciduous
woodland, where it spends the night roosting in trees. Its habitat is fast
disappearing and this bird is now extinct in most European countries.

This innovative coin visibly explains the
relationship between space and time, as created by scientist Hermann Minkowski.
Building on Einstein’s 1905 Special theory of relativity, Minkowski presumed
the existence of a fourth dimension – time, in addition to height, width and
length – in which space and time are connected geometrically and he created a
diagram illustrating the connection. In 1915, Einstein incorporated Minkowski’s
ideas into his General Theory of Relativity.

The Reverse
of the $2 Silver Coin depicts the Minkowski diagram, a geometric
illustration of the formula of special relativity, which is engraved in one of
the diagram’s columns together with the inscription “SPACE-TIME CONTINUUM”. The
centre of the high-relief coin is marked with a magnetic sphere, which can be
removed.

The Obverse of the $2 Silver Coin whose shape is a
mirror or inversion of the Reverse, displays a minimised portrait of Queen Elizabeth II,
the name of the issuing country “COOK ISLANDS” and the denomination of the coin
“2 DOLLARS”.

From these 10 winning coins, an international panel of judges will
select the “Coin of the Year” (COTY).

The COTY and the individual category winners will be given their
trophies on 04.02.2017, at the “World Money Fair” in Berlin.Links:For posts on COTY winners in subsequent/previous years, please visit the following links:

This one is a very well thought of design on both the Obverse ane reverse, Lalingkar sahab. The two men who were the driving force behind the March of Dimes Programme as well as a healthy baby which the Programme aims to achieve. The interesting part - every child at a fund-raising event was requested to contribute a dime, to make them feel involved in the initiative.

Indeed it is, Lalingkar sahab. The concepts of using the Origami Crane which is a symbol of peace, hope and resilience and the miracle pine tree which was the only one of about 70,000 trees in the forest to survive the Tsunami were brilliant.

About Me

I am Rajeev Prasad, a retired State Bank of India officer who had been collecting coins in a shoe box without having a serious interest. Only after quitting my job I got the time to take serious interest in developing my coin collection into a hobby. A pity, because I would have had more opportunity to lay my hands on more 'exclusive coins' while in the Bank. Anyway, as they say,better late than never. If you have any views to share with me regarding this blog , please contact me on my email rajeevprasad1208@gmail.com. I also have a twitter account @prasad_rajeev.
I had an opportunity to participate in a Documentary on the life and times of the 25 paise coin titled “Chal Basi Chavanni” (The four anna/twenty five paise coin passes away), aired by STAR NEWS on 29th and 30th June 2011. The programme helped in making many persons hold back onto their “chavannis”, the little round beauties, instead of returning them to Banks .